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Review
. 2024 Oct 31;14(5):935-948.
doi: 10.21037/cdt-24-148. Epub 2024 Oct 22.

Pulmonary hypertension in adults with congenital heart defects (ACHDs)-in light of the 2022 ESC PAH guidelines-part I: definition, epidemiology, classification, diagnostics, genetics, risk stratification and follow-up, gender aspects

Harald Kaemmerer  1 , Gerhard Paul Diller  2 , Ingo Dähnert  3 , Stephan Achenbach  4 , Christina A Eichstaedt  5   6   7 , Andreas Eicken  1 , Annika Freiberger  1 , Sebastian Freilinger  1 , Ralf Geiger  8 , Matthias Gorenflo  9 , Ekkehard Grünig  5   7 , Alfred Hager  1 , Michael Huntgeburth  1 , Ann-Sophie Kaemmerer-Suleiman  10 , Rainer Kozlik-Feldmann  11 , Astrid E Lammers  12 , Nicole Nagdyman  1 , Sebastian Michel  13   14 , Kai Helge Schmidt  15 , Mathieu Suleiman  10 , Anselm Uebing  16   17 , Fabian von Scheidt  1 , Ulrike Herberg  18 , Christian Apitz  19
Affiliations
Review

Pulmonary hypertension in adults with congenital heart defects (ACHDs)-in light of the 2022 ESC PAH guidelines-part I: definition, epidemiology, classification, diagnostics, genetics, risk stratification and follow-up, gender aspects

Harald Kaemmerer et al. Cardiovasc Diagn Ther. .

Abstract

The number of adults with congenital heart defects (ACHDs) is steadily increasing and is about 360,000 in Germany. Congenital heart defect (CHD) is often associated with pulmonary hypertension (PH), which sometimes develops early in untreated CHD. Despite timely treatment of CHD, PH not infrequently persists, redevelops in older age, and is associated with significant morbidity and lethality. The revised European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) 2022 guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of PH represent a significant contribution to the optimized care of those affected. However, the topic of "adults with congenital heart defects" is treated only relatively superficially in this context. In the present article, part I, therefore, this topic is commented on in detail from the perspective of congenital cardiology with a special focus on definition, epidemiology, classification, diagnostics, genetics, risk stratification and follow-up and gender aspects of PH in ACHDs. This paper consists of two parts. Part II will provide comments on the topics of supportive therapy, special situations like pregnancy, contraception, and non-cardiac surgery, targeted pharmacotherapy, organ transplantation, special management like shunt lesion, left ventricular disease, and univentricular hearts, interventions, intensive care, ACHDs follow-up and future perspective on PH in ACHDs. By examining these aspects in detail, this article aims to fill the gaps in the existing guidelines and provide a more thorough understanding from the perspective of congenital cardiology.

Keywords: Eisenmenger syndrome; Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); congenital heart disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://cdt.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/cdt-24-148/coif). The series “Current Management Aspects of Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD): Part VI” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. H.K. served as the unpaid Guest Editor of the series. H.K. received sponsorship and honoraria from Janssen/Jonson&Johnson, and Bristol Myers Squibb, and participated in the steering board of COMPERA International. G.P.D. has received honoraria and consulting fees from Janssen Pharmaceuticals. I.D. serves as an unpaid board member for Treasurer of the German Society for Pediatric Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease. S.A. serves as board member for European Society of Cardiology, and Deutsche Herzstiftung. C.A.E. received honoraria for lectures and presentations from OMT and MSD, consulting fees from MSD. C.A.E. is co-inventor of the issued European patent “Gene panel specific for pulmonary hypertension and its uses” (EP3507380). E.G. has received research grants outside the submitted work from Actelion, Janssen, Bayer, MSD, Merck, Ferrer; research grants to the institution outside the submitted work from Acceleron, Actelion, Bayer, MSD, Janssen, Liquidia, United Therapeutics, OMT; consultancy fees outside the submitted work from Actelion, Janssen, Bayer, MSD, Merck, Ferrer; Speaker honoraria outside the submitted work from Actelion, Bayer/MSD, GSK, AOP, Janssen, phev, OMT, GEBRO, Ferrer, GWT; participation in AdBoards from MSD and Ferrer; unpaid board member for A DUE Steering committee and patient organisation phev. M.H. received consulting fees, honoraria, and travel support from Janssen. S.M. received Research Grant from German Center for Lung Research (DZL). A.U. received consulting fees from Medtronic. U.H. serves as an unpaid board member for Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kinderkardiologie und Angeborene Herzfehler, and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin. C.A. received lecture and consulting fees from Janssen. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.

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